Orient
241261
226184329
2008-07-17T05:51:48Z
77.176.36.176
{{easternculture}}
{{otheruses}}
The '''Orient''' is a term which simply means the "[[east]]". It originated in [[Southwest Asia|Western Asia]] to describe that part of the world. It is somtimes used in certain English speaking countries such as the [[United States]] to describe [[East Asia|Eastern Asia]] while in other parts of the western Hemisphere the term Orient still refers to the [[Near East]], the [[Middle East]], [[North Africa]] or the whole Islamic World excluding [[South East Asia]]n countries.In mainland [[Europe]] one will find a large number of Restaurants and eateries selling "oriental food" such as [[kebab]]s, [[doner kebab]], [[shawarma]] and [[falafal]].They are not [[Chinese]], [[Japanese]] or [[East Asian]] but exclusivly [[Turkish]] or [[Middle Eastern]] enterprises.Oriental carpets are another example of how the word is used in mainland Europe.These too, usually refer to middle eastern carpets rather than East Asian ones.Middle Eastern people usually don't feel offended by the term "oriental". This, however, may differ in the United States where the word has racial overtones.
To describe a person as ''Oriental'' is considered to be impolite and [[politically incorrect]] by people of Asian descend in the [[United States]]; the term [[Asian]] is now widely used. In the United States ''Oriental'' refers to objects and material good such as rugs and teapots. However, the term ''Oriental'' does not carry any such connotations in the [[United Kingdom]], where the word ''Asian'' commonly refers to people of [[India]]n/[[Bangladesh]]i/[[Pakistan]]i/[[Sri Lanka]]n descent. (These people are called [[South Asia]]ns in the United States.)
== Derivation ==
The term "Orient" is derived from the Latin word ''oriens'' meaning "east" (lit. "rising" < ''orior'' "rise"). The use of the word for "rising" to refer to the east (where the sun rises) has analogs from many languages: compare the terms "[[Levant]]" (< French ''levant'' "rising"), "[[Anatolia]]" (< Greek ''anatole''), "[[mizrahi]]" in Hebrew ("zriha" meaning sunrise), "sharq" {{lang-ar|شرق}} (< Arabic ''yashroq {{lang-ar|يشرق}}'' "rise", ''shrooq {{lang-ar|شروق}}'' "rising") and "The Land of the Rising Sun" to refer to [[Japan]].
The opposite term "[[Occident]]" is derived from the Latin word ''occidens'' meaning "west" (lit. "setting" < "occido" "fall/set"). This term was once used to describe the West (where the sun sets) but is falling into disuse.
== Usage of term ==
In time, the common understanding of 'the Orient' has continually shifted eastwards; as Europe learned of countries farther East, the defined limit of 'the Orient' shifted eastwards, until it reached the Pacific Ocean, in what Westerners came to call 'the [[Far East]]'.
Initially, the "Orient" referred primarily to the cultures and countries of what are now considered the [[Middle East]]. For example the Three Kings of the Orient in Christianity were not from China, Japan etc. This particularly included regions that used to be known as [[Persian Empire|Persia]], [[Mesopotamia]], [[Asia Minor]], and [[Egypt]]. As [[Chronology of European exploration of Asia|awareness of other Asian countries]] grew in European consciousness, the term often came to mean [[South Asia]], [[Southeast Asia]] or [[East Asia]]. By the late 19th century, the term usually referred to [[China]], [[Japan]], [[Korea]] and surrounding nations while the British colonists frequently used it when speaking of [[India]]. Remnants of the older conception of the Orient still exist in the English language in such collocations as [[Oriental studies]] (now largely replaced by [[Asian studies]]), ''[[Oriental rug]]'' and ''Oriental [[harem]]''. It has taken on a specific usage since the publication of [[Edward Said]]'s influential book, "[[Orientalism (book)|Orientalism]]" (1980).
"Oriental" has been used by [[Western world|the West]] as a term to describe cultures, countries, peoples and goods from the Orient. Oriental is also used as an adjective akin to "eastern", especially in the Spanish-speaking world. For example, the [[Philippines|Philippine]] island [[Mindoro]] is divided into two provinces whose titles include the words "oriental" and "occidental" respectively. The official name of [[Uruguay]] is the República Oriental del Uruguay or Oriental Republic of Uruguay because it is east of the [[Río de la Plata]]<ref>[https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/uy.html#Govt CIA - The World Factbook - Uruguay<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>.
==Perceptions and connotations ==
===North American English===
Controversy surrounds connotations of the term in [[American English]]. (See also [[American and British English differences]].) According to Abdurrahman R. Squires, "politically correct terms have taken the place of the word 'Orientalism'".<ref name="Squires">{{cite web
|url= http://www.muslim-answers.org/orientalism.htm
|title= Orientalism, Misinformation and Islam
|author= Abdurrahman R. Squires
|date= 2006-02-12
|archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20070629153315/http://www.muslim-answers.org/orientalism.htm
|archivedate= 2007-06-29
}}</ref>
While a number of reference works used in the United States describe ''Oriental'' as pejorative, antiquated or offensive in some instances, the ''American Heritage Book of English Usage'' notes that
:''It is worth remembering, though, that Oriental is an ethnic slur to be avoided in all situations. It is most objectionable in contemporary contexts and when used as a noun, as in "the appointment of an Oriental to head the commission". In these cases Asian (or a more specific term such as Vietnamese, Korean, or Asian American, if appropriate) is the only acceptable term. But in certain historical contexts, or when its exotic connotations are integral to the topic, Oriental remains a useful term.''<ref> [http://www.bartleby.com/64/C006/007.html#ASIAN Asian], The American Heritage Book of English Usage</ref>
Random House's ''Guide to Sensitive Language'' states "Other words (e.g., Oriental, colored) are outdated or inaccurate." This ''Guide to Sensitive Language'' suggests the use of "Asian or more specific designation such as Pacific Islander, Chinese American, [or] Korean." <ref>[http://www.randomhouse.com/words/language/avoid_guide.html#race Race, Ethnicity, and National Origin] Sensitive Language, [[Random House]]</ref> Merriam-Webster describes the term as "sometimes offensive,"<ref>[http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=oriental Oriental] [[Merriam-Webster]]</ref> Encarta states when the term is used as a noun it is considered "a highly offensive term for somebody from East Asia" <ref>[http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_1861684868/Oriental.html Oriental], [[Encarta]]</ref>
===British English===
In [[British English]], the terms "Asian" (noun or adjective) and "[[British Asian]]" (noun), when used in reference to people, usually refer to South Asian peoples - especially the ethnic groups of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
The term "[[oriental]]" is standard usage to describe one of East Asian extraction<ref>[http://squatmagazine.com/article.php?articleId=183 Squat Issue 1.7 - Burt Kwouk Q&A<!-- Bot generated title -->] an example of this usage</ref>, and has no pejorative connotations. The alternative is usually to use "[[Far East]]ern", or refer to the specific country from which an individual or family may have originated, if this is known
==See also==
*[[Turkic peoples]]
*[[Orientalism]]
*[[Orientalizing Period]] of Archaic Greek art
*[[Asian people|Asian]]
*[[Eastern world]]
*[[Western world]]
*[[Orient Express]]
*[[Orient Watch]]
*[[Political correctness]]
*[[School of Oriental and African Studies]] (SOAS), [[University of London]]
*[[Chinese]]
*[[Far East]]
*[[Mideast]]
==Notes==
<references/>
===References and further reading===
* [http://www.umich.edu/~aos/ The American Oriental Society]
* [http://oi.uchicago.edu/OI/default.html The Oriental Instititute] at University of Chicago
* [http://www.modelminority.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=183 On ''Asian'' and ''Oriental''] [[Model Minority]] posting by Alan Hu
* [http://www.freewebs.com/bannedwords/ Banned Words] For comparative analysis: a list "banned" words (including ''Oriental'') as documented by Diane Ravitch.
* [http://www.zadiraks.de/ German Orient Gate]
[[Category:Asia]]
[[an:Orient]]
[[bs:Orijent]]
[[ca:Orient]]
[[cs:Orient]]
[[da:Orienten]]
[[de:Orient]]
[[es:Oriente]]
[[fr:Orient]]
[[gl:Oriente]]
[[nl:Oosten]]
[[ja:オリエント]]
[[no:Orienten]]
[[nn:Orienten]]
[[pt:Oriente]]
[[ro:Oriente]]
[[simple:Orient]]
[[sk:Orient]]
[[sv:Orienten]]
[[zh:东洋]]